Digging Deeper – Diversity and Unity
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Romans 12:6-8 (NLT)
DIVERSITY AND UNITY
In Romans 12:6-8, Paul describes the church as being highly diverse in talents and gifts yet unified in purpose and Spirit. We are all different. We have different strengths. At the same time, there is unity. We all work together to bring glory to Christ and make His gospel known to others. If you aren’t good at public speaking or playing in a worship band, this just means that your gifts lie elsewhere. Your value is the same as anyone else in the body of Christ. I need your gift, and you need mine to become the person God desires. No one else in the world has your exact DNA. God uniquely created you to be unlike anyone else. He wants you to contribute out of your uniqueness and giftedness.
Think about it this way. When you stand in your kitchen, you’re surrounded by appliances. A refrigerator, an oven, a stove, a microwave, a toaster, a coffee maker, and others. The manufacturer uniquely designed all these appliances to fulfill a designated purpose. The refrigerator will not heat our food, the oven won’t wash the dishes, and the toaster can’t make the coffee in the morning. That’s not what they were made to do. And if these appliances fail to accomplish the task they were designed to accomplish, they have failed. Each of these appliances are designed with different functions but with one purpose – to help you eat. If people can do that with machines—design them to fulfill a designated purpose—God can surely craft people for unique gifts and strengths that will bring Him glory.
When studying Romans 12’s list of gifts, you might identify with one or two as your own. Prophets are often bold and articulate as they share Biblical truth. Servers are faithful and loyal. Teachers are clear thinkers. Encouragers know how to motivate others. Givers are generous and trusting. Leaders are good organizers and managers. Those who show mercy are caring people who are happy to give their time to others. This list of gifts represents what gifts are and is not meant to be a complete list. Paul’s point is that our gifts, whatever they may be, should be used and not wasted!
How do you know what your gifts are? Simply start serving in areas where you have a passion and desire. Eventually, your spiritual gift(s) will rise to the surface and become evident to those you serve. And, you will begin to see God use you to bolster the faith of other believers.
Steve Roach serves as the Pastor of Spiritual Maturity at NorthStar Church. He and his wife, Amy, live in Acworth and have three girls, Olivia, Sydney, and Hayley and one son, Colton. He enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family.
